Former Iowa guard Tavion Banks has the eligibility news he was waiting on, but it may not point straight back to Iowa.
Banks had already made his preference clear earlier in the process: if he got a fifth year, he wanted to return to the Hawkeyes. But after a Colorado judge granted a class-wide injunction to the 2022 recruiting class, his latest message sounded a lot less definitive.
Judge Charlotte Sweeney’s ruling on the new NCAA five-for-five rule effectively opened the door for members of the 2022 recruiting class to return to college sports if they choose. Sweeney said those players would suffer "irreparable harm" under the new NCAA ruling.
At the same time, the decision has triggered concerns on the other side, where some are pushing for Congress to step in and limit the amount of "chaos" the ruling could create. The broader ripple effect is already being felt, with questions swirling about whether recent undrafted free agents from the 2026 NFL and NBA Drafts might try to head back to college.
For Banks, though, the immediate question is simpler: where does he play next?
His recent post on X, formerly Twitter, did not lock him into Iowa. Banks did not say a return was off the table, but he also stopped short of saying he was coming back. Instead, he emphasized finding the "best BASKETBALL fit," which leaves plenty of room for interpretation and plenty of reason for Iowa fans to sweat it out.
- tavion banks (@tavionbanks2) August 1, 2026
That uncertainty stings a little because Banks was such a big piece for Iowa last season. After a slower start, he emerged as the Hawkeyes’ clear No. 2 option behind Bennett Stirtz and finished with the best college season of his career.
If not for Stirtz, Banks would have been Iowa’s top player. His production helped push Ben McCollum’s team to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987.
If Banks does come back, he would be a major boost. Iowa has multiple new pieces and important returners already in place, and another season from Banks would only strengthen the team’s chances of making another deep run. But with the expanded NIL landscape and other programs likely ready to make strong offers, it makes sense that he’s still weighing everything.
For now, the door remains open. It just doesn’t look as wide open for Iowa as it once did.
In Other News...
Tavion Banks Leaves Iowa With Ben McCollum Facing Another Roster Test
Tavion Banks is moving on after a one-year stop in Iowa City, announcing on Instagram that he will not return to the Hawkeyes despite still having another season of eligibility available. Banks, who transferred in from Drake, was one of Iowas more dependable contributors last season and made clear in his farewell message that he appreciated the coaching staff, teammates and fans for the time he spent in the program.
For Ben McCollum, it adds another roster decision point in a stretch where every exit matters. Iowa has already been working through the realities of a new era, and losing a player with Banks experience and production means more reshuffling is ahead as the Hawkeyes continue to shape next seasons rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Is Counting On A Legacy Linebacker To Lead Its New Defense
Jayden Montgomery has been around Iowa football long enough that his rise no longer feels like a surprise, even if it still carries some family-history weight. Entering his fifth season with the Hawkeyes, the legacy linebacker is positioned to step into a starting role in 2026, a natural next step for a player who has steadily worked his way into the lineup and played in every game last season with seven starts.
The timing matters, too, because Iowa is in the middle of rebuilding much of its front seven production, and Phil Parkers defense will need dependable pieces to settle in quickly. Montgomerys background makes him an easy face for that transition, but the real test will be whether he can turn familiarity with the program into the kind of every-down impact Iowa expects from one of its key returning defenders. [Read more 🡒]